1/11/16 #2 When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew up in.

Question #2. And look at me.... I haven't even fallen behind yet!  HAHA

When and where were you born? Describe your home, your neighborhood, and the town you grew up in.

I was born on 4th of July 1955.  

I was born in Hunstanton Norfolk England. 

My dad was in the US Air Force and was stationed in England when he met my mother.  Because I was born in England I really didn't know about the American Celebration of Independence day on the 4th of July.  It wasn't until after I reached the US when I got the news that by birthday was "special".

My parents didn't live on the Air Force Base but instead lived in a beautiful little seaside community where the beach was practically in our backyard.

We lived on 38 Seagate Road.  

"Seagate" was befitting the name of the street.   

It was long and winding and at the end had an open field where they sold fish and chips.  The real kind.... wrapped in real newspaper.  I am pretty sure it was a tuppence to buy one package of fish and chips.  There was also the picture show that would cost 5pence to see a movie.  It was a rare occasion but we did go to the picture show.  Our house was a 2 story house, small, but had a enclosed back porch on the second floor that overlooked a man made boating lake.  We didn't go out to the porch very much, because it was cold and my parents used it mostly for storage.  My older sisters would sometimes play "school" up there.

Our backyard was huge (so I thought) it was separated in the middle by a walkway to the alley.  My Dad has a "shed" on one side and a garden on the other side.  I thought the shed was huge! It was where he would go and study his "electronic" stuff in the evenings.  The other side is where we played.  I don't remember much about the bedrooms, but I remember the fireplaces in the rooms.  Our front yard was very small, and  was surrounded by a half wall brick fence.   One big thing I remember about my neighborhood was that the only thing that divided us and the ocean was this "boating lake".  They used to drain the boating lake in the winter and we would go through our backyard gate and down the alley play in the cement pond during the winter.  I remember roller skating there.  I also followed my oldest sister down to the beach Carnival  at the end of the block that would be closed in the winter.  The Carousel was covered but we would squeeze inside the snaps on the cover and play on the horses. We weren't allowed down to the beach alone, but when my Mom would take us we would pick up star fish.  I remember a long pier that we would walk down as well.

Mom Louella, Joanne, Judy, and Bobbi

 Our playground- we didn't want for much!

This is Marie's mom Jemima Allan- we called her Nanny, (pictured with Judy)

Gardens on both sides.

 Who can hold on longest.  I remember this black swim suit.

   Just playing in the sun.

 This is a picture of the "Shed" my dad has his electronics in.

 more gardening.

 Its summer and we got to ride on the Carousel.

 Aren't we cool!

I didn't know as a child how beautiful it was.  

But going back as an adult I can appreciate the place we lived so much more.

Here are pictures of it as I saw it as an adult. (you can click on them and see them full screen)

My backyard. and the carnival at the end of the street.

 This is where the picture house, a church, and some other shops are now located.

Just down the street from Seagate road.

It is a great Seaside resort now.

 This is the walkdown to the water located behind my home.

This is the 2nd level back porch of my house.  The picture taken from the boating lake.
And the picture show house.

 The boating lake does not have boats anymore.  Its a park now.

Look in the distance and you can see my house. I am standing on the pier taking this picture.

 This is the "Seagate Road" row of houses from the front doors.

My sisters Louella Joanne and I attended a US military grade school at Sculthorpe Air Force Base called Sculthorpe Airfield County Primary School.  The base was about 15 miles away so it was a long bus ride for us as kids.  My memories of that bus ride are not pleasant.  I always got car sick and that gas smell in the bus didn't help much.  I don't remember much about the ride, with exception of the nausea and that the morning ride sometimes was in the dark.  

 You can watch a video of the base this u tube video.  The video is a little scary but of course back in the 1950's it was a thriving US AFB.



You can also see some pictures here:
and read about a post from a teacher who taught there in 1955 here
another video here 

I remember starting kindergarten and being afraid, and crying to my Dad.  The first few days he picked me up from school and I remember that I couldn't find him and I became afraid.  I told him I was so too small to see him because everyone was bigger than me.  So, he built me a little wooden box out of crates and place it right beside the fence and told me that after the bell rang, I could stand on that box and see him and he could see me.  That seems to make things all A-OKAY!   I don't remember much else about going to school there.

When I was in the first grade we moved to the US.

My dad was stationed at Perrin AFB in Pottsboro TX and we I lived in Denison TX
Here is the guard station at Perrin.

I lived out the majority of my childhood here at 514 Forest Lane Denison Tx 75020.  

Our house was a larger house than the one in England.  It had a front room, a dining/family room, 3 bedrooms and 1.5  baths.  Here is a picture of it. 3 of us girls shared one bedroom with wall to wall built in bunk beds made by my Dad and the Louella got the smaller room to herself.
We had some good years in Denison as a family, and my parents really didn't let us know of any troubles they were having.

Here is a picture of Dad, my Grandfather

My Aunt Lola, her two children, Doreen and Tommy, 

Joanne, Bobbi and DD.

Shortly after youngest sister DD was born, 

my Dad was re-stationed back to England and we we 

never saw him again as children. 

After my Dad left, we live our childhood with our Mom while she worked her fingers to the bones trying to provide for us.   Although my Mom had a rough time, she took care of us the best she could.  She s worked at Pillsbury Plant and sewed to make ends meet.

We were lucky to get all the "left overs" of the testing that my Mom performed in the Quality Control Department as special treats.  The biggest thing I can remember as an extravagance as a young kids was driving to Watson burgers on the way home from he AFB Commissary and getting 10 Watson Burgers for $1.  They were .10 cents each!   No pop, no french fires.  But we LOVED the hamburgers!  At the commissary Mom purchased bologna by the rolls.  We would have a mass production line by sliceing up the bologna, slapping it in between two slices of bread, put in baggies, and putting it in the freezer for the next month until the next commissary trip.  We would grab one out of the freezer for our lunch for many years.  But we always had a lunch!  Mom bought a Volkswagen Station wagon  that we had for many years.  My older 2 sisters land I learned how to drive in it.  

I attended golden Rule Elementary , McDaniel Jr. High, and Denison High school.  

 Golden Rule Elementary

Denison High School Yellow Jackets

We were poor, couldn't afford much, but my Mom always provided a way for us to have the necessities and even a few luxuries.  We never really wanted for much. As a child I really didn't recognize all she did for us.  As an adult, I admire everything about her.  It brings tears to my eyes how my mom always put us first.  

She's the most unselfish person I know.  

I love you Mom- you are my HERO!  

Thanks for the wonderful childhood you provided for ALL of us!